Purpose: Despite recent advancements in cancer therapy, such as novel chemo- and immunotherapeutic agents, challenges persist in predicting patient responses. Preclinical testing is crucial, but current in-vivo experiments in genetically identical mice fail to capture the intricate interplay between human microenvironments and cancer cells. To overcome this constraint, we employed an innovative perfusion platform to investigate melanoma and breast cancer cell lines. Our aim was to unravel their interactions within human tissue, their influence on promoting angiogenesis in adjacent tissues, and their role in driving neoplastic growth.
Methods: Using our perfusion model, we injected melanoma and breast cancer lines intradermally into abdominal pannus obtained from an abdominoplasty procedure. We canulated the superficial inferior epigastric artery and perfused it with our special culture media containing antibiotics, and hydrocortisone. Then we proceed to administer an enhancer to promote growth within each cell line. After 15 days biopsies were taken and sections were stained for H&E and immunochemistry for DAPI and Ki-67.
Results: The H&E stain showed proliferation of atypical cells within reticular dermis and evidence of tissue immune cells around pleomorphic cells. Immunochemistry staining of KI-67 and DAPI showed increased mitotic activity and visible nuclei spreading to adipose tissue septa.
Conclusions: Our model has the potential to simulate cancer cell proliferation in a secondary site in human tissue, providing insight into mechanism of tumor metastasis, integration into new environments, and interactions with immune cells.